Like a thief in the night

[in_the_blue]

Sometimes, lostinapapercup is so smart that I have to steal things from her. Here:

Inspired by the coming lovefest for fictional females over at halfamoon, here's a game: name a canon you know I know, and I'll tell you (in no particular order) my three favorite females and why. And then I'll name a canon for you, because I'm just as curious as I am eager to share.

Comments

[ashavah]

LOST.

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

Oh, choose the difficult one! There are so many great female characters.

- Nadia Abed Jazeem. Her strength fascinates me and I don't see her as complementing Sayid so much as I see him complementing her. When I rewatched the end of last season the other night, her death scene absolutely broke my heart. She's long been one of my favorite characters on Lost, male or female.

- Helen Norwood. Not only was she a voice of reason in Locke's fucked-up life, but Katey Sagal. I mean, seriously, the line between actress and character blurred right away for me the moment I heard her voice. She didn't get to be in there a whole lot but brother, did she make an impact in every scene she got to inhabit. If Locke had just listened to her... yeah.

- Kate Austen. I know it's cool to hate on Ms. Austen, but I happen to think she's a fantastic character and like all the main characters, flawed but in the most human of ways. She's strong, independent, and determined and doesn't let other people define who she is or what she can or can't do (and might be one of the few people never to have actually used that don't tell me what I can't do line, because she doesn't have to). Has she made mistakes? You bet, but she knows it and that makes her that much more fascinating.

I get to have runners-up here. In no particular order and without reasons given: Sun Kwon, Cassidy Phillips, Alex Rousseau, and Carmen Reyes.

For you: Torchwood.

[ashavah]

Heh, this is hard because I have such a love/hate relationship with the major female character, which you've heard me talk about before. My favourites would have to be:

Toshiko Sato: I always have a soft spot for the quiet, unassuming, and brilliant characters, and that's Tosh to a tee. She's not a warrior, but she's brilliant in her own way, and I love her for that. Like so many other characters, her story is a tragedy of lost love, but it's also a story of how she got another chance to see the brilliance of what's out there in the world and truly live up to her potential.

Estelle Cole: She's only in one episode, but she really managed to captivate me in that one episode. Estelle is sweet and innocent and idealistic, and that proves to be her downfall. But she's also a breath of fresh air because after all she's seen and the heartbreak she's endured, she hasn't become cynical. She manages to have an air of tragedy and to have gone through a lot of pain in her life and yet still believe in magic and goodness.

Alice Carter: Such a conflicted character, and like so many of my favourites, strong as steel with a core of vulnerability she won't let anybody see. She wants to love her father and she wants to hate him, so she doesn't know what to think. She wants so desperately to distance herself from his crazy world and just be a normal suburban mother, but you don't want to mess with her. Her story is such a tragedy (and a part of Jack's tragedy, too, and I love it and hate it for that), because she loses everything dear to her through no fault of her own, her only sin being to trust that Jack could save the world.

Honourable mentions: Martha Jones (who I would have mentioned except she's primarily a Doctor Who character), Rhiannon Davies. And Gwen in her awesome moments.

[skygiants]

Baccano!

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

LUA KLEIN! Just kidding.

- Nice Holystone. She's calm, cool, competent, and she hides a fucking cherry bomb in the space where her eye ought to be. You kind of don't get much cooler than that. Also, she flaunts all her scars and doesn't care what people think about her (or about Jacuzzi).

- Miria Harvent. What a dip, right? Except she's so positive all the time, and she really is cheerful and her innocence is so childlike. Plus, she can... SING!

- Chane Laforet. She's like Miria's photo-opposite negative image, but I have to give her props for her loyalty and her unswerving hot shit talent with knives. She brings whole new meaning to the term silent but deadly and she's absolutely fearless... at least on the outside. I like her inner vulnerability, and the ways she's able to reconcile it for herself.

I have to fess up that this was much harder than I thought. Your runners-up, again, in no particular order and without reasons given, are Rachel and Ennis.

For you: Princess Tutu.

[skygiants]

It is super tricky! Because they are ALL so awesome! I don't even know how I would pick my top three.

Princess Tutu is easier! My top three would be:

Rue: Because she's never talked to another girl like this, but she doesn't think she hates it; because she probably should have done more basic training; because you're supposed to call her Rue-sama, not Rue-chan; because she's the most complicated and dynamic character in the show; because she's never in her life ever believed that she's been loved, but she manages to figure out how to love anyways.

Duck: Because she was brought into the story as a duck Mary Sue to be obsessively and self-sacrificially in love with one person, and instead fell in love with the WHOLE WORLD; because she never gives up; because she does the most hilarious Fakir impressions and wears adorable duck pants; because when it comes down to it, she refuses to vanish.

Pique: Because she actually has sane priorities; because she thinks Mytho, prince of the school and center of the story, is kind of boring; because she's always dreamed about wearing toe shoes, even though they kill your feet dead; because she has a hilarious thing for bad boys; because when she thinks she sees someone in an abusive relationship, she is the only person in all of Gold Crown Town who will say, "hey, you know, that really isn't cool, and maybe you should get out of that while you still can."

[lostinapapercup.livejournal.com]

Beaten to the punch!

Well, I haven't seen it yet, but how about Last Exile?

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

These might not mean anything to you... yet! But they will some day.

- Sophia Forrester, because she is an absolutely competent and kick-ass Vice Captain who never lets her personal feelings get in the way of doing the very best she can to run (or assist in running) this insanely equipped battleship. Her loyalties run incredibly deeply, she's smart and skilled and compassionate, and she rises to every challenge put before her almost unflinchingly, even the really difficult ones. But she's no Mary Sue, despite all that.

- Delphine Eraclea. You know I have a soft spot for a well-done villain, and how often does the bad guy get to be female? She's entirely unrepentant, scary as hell, and sounds a whole lot like Faye. Her psychosis and megalomania know no bounds. She's like a cross between Cruella DeVille, Vicious, and Ladd Russo and if you can find me another female villain like that, I'll be impressed.

- Listening Officer Wina Lightning. The minor characters in this series get so overlooked, and Wina's sorely underused. But there are pivotal moments (one in particular) where she just breaks my heart with her kindness. I'm also quite fond of characters with unique and invaluable talents, and she's one of the few irreplaceable officers on the Silvana.

For you: Baccano! me, por favor.

[lostinapapercup.livejournal.com]

*♥ you and your taste in characters*

You want Baccano!, you got Baccano! And I agree: it's hard.

Chane Laforet. I'll admit that I liked Chane the first time around but didn't really like her until my second viewing. I get more and more fond of Chane every time I watch it. I suppose she's right up my alley in some ways. While the tragedy in her past is less tangible than it is in the lives of most of my favorites, it's there and it hurts: she willingly gave her voice to keep her father's secrets (and at so young an age!), and although we can't say he never showed her affection, he was the one person she had and never told her he loved her. No wonder all her relationships are utilitarian and kindness shocks her. I'm such a sucker for characters who have problems like that. Plus she's amazingly loyal and so badass she can block bullets with her knives.

Rachel. Arguably the most minor of the cast on the Pussyfoot, Rachel is easily forgotten at first and then shines like the fucking sun. I love her bravery and soft heart, and I love her wanting to refuse the monetary reward and then spending it to buy tickets to make up for all of her free rides.

Miria Harvent. Oh, I know I can't imagine her without Isaac and that alone she's... probably not that remarkable. But I can't help it: she's hilarious, she's got style, she's got heart, and she wears a Santa outfit in the opening credits as she helps to rob a store.

Obvious honorable mentions are Ennis and Nice.

[vivien]

Harry Potter-verse! (and you could ask me about the same!)

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

Heee!

- Minerva McGonagall. Talk about your no-nonsense, kick-ass, super-skilled frighteningly competent but sympathetic mother/teacher-figure. And then to top it all off, she's magic. I love her determination and strength and power and unwavering goodness. And she even has a sense of humor.

- Luna Lovegood. She sees everything through rainbow-colored glasses, has an explanation (rational or not) for everything, and despite the fact that she's mocked and a total underdog, she's still so kind and kindly and has such faith in everything working out the way it should. Plus, she's a friend to angsty!teen!Harry when other people are too wrapped up in themselves to just let him be himself.

- Lily Evans Potter, for her unwavering backbone and the way she never gave up on the strength and power of love. I know we don't see all that much of her for a long time, but the flashback scenes go to show how strong and kind she really was and despite what anyone thinks of her relationship with either James or Severus, there... wouldn't be a book series without her and her quick thinking.

For you: HP me, please!

[vivien]

Minerva McGonagall is my first pick to discuss, as well, because she takes no guff. From anyone. When the ages of the adult characters came out and I realized she'd been at Hogwarts with Voldemort, I wanted to know so much more about how she dealt with him. Of all the students there, I bet you anything she was one who could put Tom Riddle in his place. Add to her no-nonsense attitude the fact that she's an awesome teacher and leader, and you have one of my favorite literary characters ever.

Hermione Granger was my first favorite, though, because there is a whole lot of Hermione in my past. I loved watching her grow through the series (although the happy ending bit... I would have preferred the fanon route wherein Hermione goes on to kick ass and take names professionally for a while before doing the husband and family part). She was the first character I wrote about in a serious way, and she is someone I admire for all her faults as well as her brilliance.

Alice Longbottom is a character that haunts me. I'd really like to write more about her, but my HP muse is so very quiet these days. She was an Auror, equal to her husband, veteran in a long war and tortured into insanity when things should have been settling down. I wish there were more backstory for her.

I love Luna, too, for precisely the reasons you gave. I also like Narcissa Malfoy, which is something I never thought I'd say until the later books.

[kit-the-brave.livejournal.com]

I think I actually jumped up and cheered when I read, "It unscrews the other way." How I love her!

And you too, of course. :)

[batyatoon]

Oh hell yes, re that line.

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

She's a wonderful character. Sentimental and at the same time entirely unsentimental, and strong and self-secure and so unflinchingly competent. Maggie Smith doesn't hurt either.

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

Bebop! :)

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

Hey, I was wondering if anyone would ask me about Bebop. Two of these will be obvious and one less so.

- Faye Valentine. For all her insecurities (stop looking at me like that, Faye), she's one tough customer. She's so layered, she's better than an onion. Or a parfait. I adore her toughness -- she smokes cigars, blasts people with machine guns, goes after bounty heads with relentless fervor -- but I also love her unsung soft side. Her allegiances are clear, but you get to see them through a slick veneer of self-serving that's probably one of the best cons in the world. She's someone who's quick to use her feminine wiles however she can, but no matter how much attitude she pulls she's a member of the team. Her heart's in the right place.

- Julia. Another one fans love to hate, I'm a big fan of the mystique surrounding Julia and why she did the things she did when she did them. The series only gives us tantalizing glimpses at her backstory, but she's loyal and solid and true to herself and to those she loves. She's like a Lauren Bacall character, all cigarettes and toughness but you know she's got a heart of gold.

- Annie. Although she only shows up in a handful of episodes, she's clearly important to the main storyline, having ties back to Mao Yenrai, to Spike and Julia, to Vicious. She's more than just a shop owner good at catching shoplifters: she's a weapons supplier, she adores Spike and is the closest thing we see in the series to a mother for him (besides Jet, that is), and she's unswervingly dedicated.

Runners-up, in no particular order and without explanation: V.T., Electra Ovilo, Ed, and I always have a soft spot for Katerina.

For you: 24.

Ah, 24...

[shellebelle93.livejournal.com]

I have a couple of "unpopular fandom opinions" here...for instance:

1. Most favoritest: Kim Bauer. OK, second season she had the WORST PLOTLINE EVAR. However. This does not negate my opinion that she is awesome. We watch her grow up through the series and I have to tell you that I am so proud of how she turned out. She is her father's daughter, and I mean this in the best way possible.

Though fandom calls her whiney, bratty, and unimportant to the plot (!), I adore her precisely because that's what she starts out as: a whiney, bratty teenager. And she adores her dad, and butts heads with her mom, and she's so typical it makes you hurt, but she's got strong stuff inside her. Now she's married and is a mom, and you can tell where all her strength comes from. One of whom is:

2. Terri Bauer. Yeah, she was only on one season, but her influence carries on. She was the best mother-character I'd seen in a long time. She wasn't syrupy sweet, she was a loving wife and mother (and an interior decorator!) with a spine of steel. For those of you who think Jack is over her? You don't get over a woman like that, ever.

3. Kate Warner. *ducks tomatoes from fandom* I know, I know. She isn't 'kickass'. But she was a wonderfully written character, even if she was a little paranoid. But she was a wonderful, 'normal person' character in the middle of a horrible, horrible day. And she was as brave as she could be. What more could anyone ask?

[batyatoon]

I was gonna ask about LOST. Hmmm ... how about Final Fantasy?

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

How about it. Oh, video game characters. I only really know the Final Fantasy VII world, so I'll limit my answers to that.

- Tifa Lockhart. OK, right off the bat, she's a MONK. She's kind to a fault, pretty much the emotional backbone of the compilation, the idea person, the go-to woman. In between doing all that she finds the time to run a bar, house a bunch of secret meetings for AVALANCHE, take in orphans, and put herself in danger to save her friends time and again. I know she gets dinged for being too soft, but come on. She's probably one of the more typically female females in the gaming world because of her soft and emotional nature, but she's supremely competent and can hold her own in a fight against anyone.

- Marlene Wallace. Yeah, she's just a kid, but the image of her little pixellated FFVII form tending bar is burned into my psyche and it won't leave. For a little guy she's pretty goddamn fearless, and her background should have left her a lot more fragile than it has. You can see where Tifa's kindness has rubbed off on her too, which is a pretty cool piece of continuity in a video game world.

- Jenova. I don't think it's cheating to pick her (yes, I know she's an alien life-form, but is most often referred to as female or "Mother") because without her, there would be no story. Inert by now, Jenova's still the driving force behind so much of what happens in the story that it would be a shame not to list her. She's such an unknown, such a mystery, and for a villain, she's only responsible (indirectly) for the DESTRUCTION OF THE WORLD through Sephiroth. So yeah, she's pretty cool in her own way.

Runner-up: Yuffie Kisaragi.

Dishonorable mention: Lucrecia Crescent.

For you: Firefly.

[batyatoon]

:D Okay then!

Zoe. She's all soldier, but that doesn't keep her from being human. She's unshakably loyal to her captain and to her husband, but that doesn't stop her from telling off either of them when circumstances call for it. I really wish the show had gone on long enough to give us a Zoe-centric episode; the closest we got was "War Stories".

Kaylee. One of the purest souls on that ship; almost never hides how she feels or what she's thinking. Also, mechanical genius. I kind of loved that she was allowed to have a normal human aversion to violence, rather than being another fighter; you can be awesome without being badass, and Kaylee is.

River. She's a Joss Whedon trope: the victim who retakes control of herself and her situation, and uses what was done to her to become stronger. By the end of the movie she's clearly become her own weapon rather than anyone else's -- but as we see at the end of the series, she's also quite capable of outsmarting rather than outfighting. I also love her awareness of her own brokenness, and the various ways she works to overcome or circumvent it.